Mossberg reviews Samsung Q1 Ultra: "finally an acceptable choice"

Walt Mossberg didn't pull any punches when he reviewed the first Samsung UMPC, calling the out the Q1 for its lack of a keyboard, low screen resolution, short battery life, and high price. Well, Samsung apparently took those criticisms to heart, because ol' Unkie Walt says that the Q1 Ultra is "a giant improvement" and shows that "Samsung is serious about this." Mossberg also says that while the split thumbpad keyboard takes some getting used to, it's perfectly usable, although you won't be cranking out any Word docs on it. Battery life, at three hours, still doesn't impress Walt, and price is still an issue, but overall, he says the Q1 Ultra is a good choice for students, frequent travelers, and other people who don't do a lot of document creation but still want to take notes and write email on the go. That's a huge endorsement for the UMPC platform if you ask us, but we'll have to see what consumers think this time around.

[Kamalot @ May 21st 2007 5:08PM]

I don't know if you can play Age of Empires on it or not, but I know the OQO model 2 will play World of Warcraft or Starcraft and has a built-in cellular modem for always-on Internet access. There is more about it and links to video here:

http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30011

[Nelson @ May 18th 2007 10:43PM]

It's getting closer. Now that PDAs are being replaced by smart phones, the equation is changing. I'm still not ready to give up my PDA.

It used to be:

Phone
PDA
Laptop
Desktop

Now it looks like it will be:

Smart Phone
UMPC
Laptop
Desktop

...And within 5 years I bet the Laptop will start to be replaced by a viable, powerful UMPC, which will do 99% of what most people need when they're away from their desktop.

[Brian Sexton @ May 18th 2007 11:55PM]

If prices come down, these kinds of things could find an interesting place between PDA and notebook. They are too big to replace all PDAs, but too small to replace all notebooks, especially those of people who use notebooks as their main systems. For people who do not need something to be as small as a PDA nor as large-screened as a notebook, these might eventually occupy a sweet spot for price and performance. I would like to have one as a secondary system, kept at easy reach in the living room or the kitchen.

[nikster @ May 18th 2007 11:11PM]

this UMPC would be cool if it had 10 hours battery life. 3 hours is less than my laptop and certainly not acceptable.

This is already the way it is today:
- Laptop
- Smartphone

And I think in the future it will look much the same. The main difference between the laptop and the smart phone will be screen and keyboard size, two things you can't shrink without sacrificing functionality.

I don't see how UMPC or desktop adds much value to this.

[Michael Geary @ May 18th 2007 11:54PM]

Nikster, you're right on the money. It's been years since I've used a desktop - I like my ThinkPads so much better than any desktop I ever owned. (Does my Mac Mini count? It's sort of an odd duck in my computer lineup.) I've got a collection of Palms and a Pocket PC or two that I've accumulated over the years and never really used any of them. My new PN-820 Smartphone? Now that's a different story. Of course I have my phone with me all the time, and I've found a pile of useful software for this little thing.

OTOH, I really want one of those Q1 Ultras! I just don't know why...

[John Doe @ May 19th 2007 12:21AM]

I'm just about ready to bite on the $1200 model but I really do want to hold this thing in my hands and play around with it before I drop that kinda cash. Does anyone know if Best Buy, Circuit City, et al will be carrying these things?

[Firebird @ May 19th 2007 1:29PM]

John, the only place I've ever seen one, and would expect to see one, was in a samsung store in that mall on Columbus circle in nyc. But they do have them there, and I did hold one, and it felt nice.

[Darnell @ May 19th 2007 12:41AM]

I'm a gadget geek for commenting on a UMPC this late on a Friday night. Hell I'm a geek for knowing what a UMPC is. Oh, yeah... Bring the price down and battery life up.

[Jerk Q. Jerkington @ May 19th 2007 1:19AM]

These devices have always struck me as the type of thing we will look back on ten years from now as silly, awkward steps in the evolution towards whatever we will be using then. Kind of how we view 80s cell phones now.

As it is, I guess I still can't answer the fundamental question of what I do with this - sure, it's cool to have so much in such a small package, but if it's not in my pocket, then why not a laptop? Do I sport an oh-so-stylish UMPC fanny pack and ensure that I'll never have sex again?
Flexible screens will explode this market, I think, but I guess it'll be a while before I get something the size of a Bic that has a retractable touchscreen and retractable keyboard.

[Josh @ May 19th 2007 2:27AM]

Where can you buy these? I look online and can't for the life of me find a retailer that carries this model.

[theninthcloud @ May 19th 2007 2:59AM]

I find the thumboard awkward. Where do your hands go if you want to hold it while writing something? Hopefully there is a way to turn off the keyboard.

[John Doe @ May 19th 2007 3:04AM]

It goes along the lower side of the device below the keypad, or your palm on the back side of it.

[Bryan @ May 19th 2007 4:01AM]

Silly Samsung. All they had to do to get Walt's seal of approval was add an Apple logo.

[gadjitfreek @ May 19th 2007 7:29AM]

I opted for the OQO Model 02. Great keyboard, incredible screen, works great with Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 and does everything I used to use my laptop for...and it runs faster than my laptop did. My old laptop is now on dedicated Smartboard duty at work and I use my 02 for everything else. It does not fit in my shirt pocket, but I keep it on a small beltbag or wear it in a small shoulder bag. And if you are worried about a bag threatening your masculinity, then move to any other country than the US, where the male ego is so frickin' fragile that something as inane as where you wear your bag is a threat to it. A man is defined by his deeds, not some skewed perception that if a man can't fit everything in his pockets, then that makes him less of a man. STOO-PID! We are so hung up on sexuality and perception in this country, there are times I am frankly embarrassed to be a citizen. We are a nation that wants to voice its aversion to perversion, and then practices it with a vigor behind closed doors. We are a nation of hypocrites, lazy consumerist puppets who put more stock in what the media tells them to be, do and wear than actually going out and making choices on their own and living with the consequences (either positive or negative) of their decisions.

So yes, I will wear my OQO on a bag. And if I wear it on my belt, so much the better. A REAL man would not let contrived cultural dogma keep them from doing what they know is for the best. If there were "real" men in this country, they ALL would be wearing bags. Duct-tape your fragile ego and get out there!

[Dan @ May 19th 2007 9:52AM]

Tough night, gadjitfreek?

[gadjitfreek @ May 19th 2007 10:11AM]

I was responding to Jerk Q. Jerkington, who said

"As it is, I guess I still can't answer the fundamental question of what I do with this - sure, it's cool to have so much in such a small package, but if it's not in my pocket, then why not a laptop? Do I sport an oh-so-stylish UMPC fanny pack and ensure that I'll never have sex again?"

I should have put said quote into my post. No, not a tough night, just sick of hearing talk like this. Just get over it already.

[Jerk Q. Jerkington @ May 19th 2007 7:22PM]

Hm, I think you are reading into that a little...
I don't want to wear a UMPC fanny pack not because it threatens my masculinity but because it looks ridiculous. If you don't think it's stupid-looking, more power to ya, but I think I'm safely in the majority when it comes to fashion sense on that one.
In any case, I just find UMPCs to be in a usability no-man's-land: too big to replace a cell phone, too underpowered to replace a laptop. That's not mentioning the price and battery issues.
Oh well, to each his own - I still wouldn't dip my toe into the UMPC market just yet if I was a potential manufacturer, though.

[craig @ May 19th 2007 9:45AM]

Nice feedback, gadjitfreek. Manpurses and male sexuality are so relevant to a Samsung UMPC. What's next, whining about how you should be able to wear eyeliner?

[OddManOut @ May 19th 2007 12:13PM]

"What's next, whining about how you should be able to wear eyeliner?"

Wait...you mean we CAN'T wear eyeliner ???

Next you'll be telling me my open toed pumps and rouge make me a sissy...

;)

As for the man-bag, it's uses far outweigh any ridicule you might get. And if you want the best of everything, just drape it cross torso...like a bandoleer. That de-purses it in most americans eyes.

And if that's not enough man stank for ya, strap some shotgun shells on it...like a bandoleer.

Or you could switch to a ScottEvest, or some cargo pants (for the OQO anyway, other UMPCs WILL require a bag of some type). I tell you NOW is a great time for men to accessorize.

[mklein @ May 19th 2007 1:05PM]

I own an HTC Hermes (8525), Fujitsu Stylistic ST5111 tablet (w/outdoor display) and run them on an unlimited data plan.

I am fully mobile with all services available at high-speed anywhere/anytime (I am god).

I need not for desktops and laptops...non-mobile brethren I can do without.

1/2 tablet umpc is nonsense. When I want to read I won't use a crippled 800x480 display I'll be 1024x768 or higher thanks...I actually want to see the web page without clipping.

I can carry around a 1/2 tablet as easily as a full size tablet. UMPCs are merely a bump in the road folks.

[ug @ May 19th 2007 1:26PM]

["What's next, whining about how you should be able to wear eyeliner?"

Wait...you mean we CAN'T wear eyeliner ???]

Someone talk to Green Day about this.

[ug @ May 19th 2007 1:58PM]

The battle for higher speeds on the desktop is largely irrelevant to the majority of non-gamer computer users. All future development in computer hardware is going to center around mobility, cost, and power efficiency. UMPCs demonstrate how far we have to go in those areas. Samsung can not wave its magic wand and solve these problems! There is work to do in CPU, display, and battery technology required. It's clear to me that people want this class of device to be priced no greater than $500, have all-day runtimes w/wireless on, and be able to run video files without dropping frames. Nothing out there now does all this and probably won't for another few years at least.

[Emceay @ May 19th 2007 2:59PM]

I'm waiting for a fundamental shift in battery technology before I buy into this form factor. My money's on 2010.

[Coming Around @ May 19th 2007 8:02PM]

Sadly, if Apple had continued with the Newton they'd be far ahead of this device. The last version of the Newton still stands up against all of the PDAs available today.

[tekdroid @ May 20th 2007 12:24AM]

UMPC = Uncertain Masculinity PC?
==============

Another big problem is start-up time. Even with no programs running, it took me over four minutes to reboot the Q1 Ultra and over two minutes to boot it after a complete shutdown. To speed up start times, Samsung suggests either turning off Vista’s snazzy graphics or ordering the one model with Windows XP, which costs $1,149.
==========


I won't re-iterate the problems with this form-factor. Or price. Or battery life. Or usability. OK, I just did.

At best, a niche for those that can benefit from the smaller size without longing for their laptop, I guess.

[geeko @ May 20th 2007 6:43PM]

Am I the only one who finds this device spot on?
- full resolution for video and (almost) web apps - but no more
- poker clients etc in native format (perfect w 1024x600) - but no more.
Why no more? because it would increase weight and power consumption.
- hsdpa!
- pc functionality, limited though it may be, still lets me leave the laptop behind on short trips.
Couple of other points: if you're active on geek gadget internet forums - don't worry about manliness 'cause you've opted out. completely. And the "I want more for less money" argument - what?. Even for the 3x expensive sony UX thingy its a stupid argument (do you think porsche is overpriced because you can't fit a pram in the boot?)

[Scooter @ May 21st 2007 12:35PM]

well I did a hands-on and this is my serious and heart-felt verdict: it's rubbish!